Worlds Within, Ages Unknown
by royslady51
Summary: After Uru was over and done, everyone thought that the last of the World Writers was gone. They were wrong...and the Tenth Doctor had no idea that he just asked the very last one to Travel with him and Rose. Rated M for future chapters.


TITLE: Worlds Within, Ages Unknown

FANDOM(s): Myst, Doctor Who

AUTHOR: Royslady51

ARCHIVE(s):

EMAIL: royslady51 at yahoo dot com or nabikib at yahoo dot com

RATING: Ranges from G to Mild R

PAIRING(s): Atrus/Catherine, Abby/OMC, The Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, others.

WARNINGS: REDEMPTION, RENEWAL, CROSSOVER, ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE/REALITY, ANGST, H/C.

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU RECOGNIZE IT, IT DOESN'T BELONG TO ME. IF YOU DO NOT RECOGNIZE IT, IT DOES BELONG TO ME. I'M BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL, INCOME WISE...SUING ME WILL DO YOU NO GOOD. I'M NOT RECEIVING ANY BENEFITS FROM THIS OF ANY KIND OTHER THAN PERSONAL ENJOYMENT.

SUMMARY: After Uru was over and done, everyone thought that the last of the World Writers was gone. They were wrong...and the Tenth Doctor had no idea that he just asked the very last one to Travel with him and Rose.

**Worlds Within, Ages Unknown**

He poked his head into the two room, plus ensuite apartment his ship had provided to Esperanza. The larger room was the bedchamber, but covered floor to ceiling with bookshelves, a few books on one shelf along with the larger portion of the ones she'd brought with her in stacks on the floor of the other room...a study, if he weren't mistaken. She was writing with an old fashioned quill pen and ink in an inkwell, a blotter on the desk, by the light of a bright flame from an oil lamp. It lit her face, showing her concentration as she put ink to the blank pages of a book for a reason he didn't understand, for she had none of the TARDIS' lighting on.

"Something you need, sir?" She asked, without looking up.

"Oh, no, not really. Wanted to check you were settling in all right." He paused, "There's no need to call me sir, you know. Just 'Doctor' is fine."

"As you wish. I'll unpack after bit. This is a section that really shouldn't be put off being written in, any longer. There's a rhythm to writing a Linking Book, after all, and some sections shouldn't be delayed. Important to get the Sciences in properly." She paused, "Please do not touch the front panel in any of my books...you can press it lightly to any suitable section of the TARDIS...to ensure we all go, but unless you want to disappear, _by yourself_, somewhere no one can find you, please do not meddle. And if you decide to link us somewhere, you should tell me _first_. I would need to see the Book you wish to use and I'll have to make sure we have a book with us that will link to somewhere in this universe...so we don't get stranded. Rose tells me this ship cannot make a trip across the void between universes...however, a Linking Book can. But those universes are all what I believe you would call 'pocket' universes. Created just for the world created in the Book. It's very complicated and also, very simple at the same time...and it's a skill I can teach, just I was taught. First, you much learn to speak, read and write in a language called _D'ni_."

"Linking Book?"

"I did tell you to tell your ship that I am the last of the D'ni trained World Writers, didn't I? I learned from Atrus and from his daughter, Yeesha. They were the last of the D'ni. Or rather, Atrus was. He was the last pureblood, for his daughter was a halfling, but skilled in the matter of Ages, oh yes. And Atrus taught his wife too, Catherine had not one drop of D'ni in her at all, but she was one of the best the Art has ever known. If she can be taught it and teach it to me, so can you."

"Yes."

"Did you tell her?"

"Um..."

"Well," She sighed. "At least she knows now. Just as you would not want someone without the appropriate skills meddling with great huge movements of Time, people who do not know what they are doing, shouldn't mess about with Linking Books. It's quite possible that if you meddle you could get stranded, never to be found again, in a universe in from which you cannot be retrieved. Not all of the Books with working Panels are complete...you could get stuck in a half formed world."

"Sounds dangerous."

"Yes, it can be. I won't meddle in your forte, you need to show me the same professional respect."

"I agree. So, about learning D'ni."

"You will both be taught...as well as the other party you mentioned was asleep. It's been a while since I had students to teach the Art to. I am a Master World Maker and you are now my apprentice. It takes years for most people to learn this skill, but after seeing what it is that you do and the sacrifices you make, I think you deserve a decent chance. Also, I need you to translate, once you have learned to write it well, into D'ni, the Scientific realities of your lost homeworld. Not the people, just the planet, the plants, wildlife, from the micro to the macro. From the atmosphere to the center. Or have the TARDIS do it. I can't give you back your people, though I could probably provide villagers with similar abilities, albeit untrained, but there are no copies possible. I can only get you close, but I can not _duplicate_."

*****WHO*MYST*****

She never spoke of her age, this woman. The closest she'd come was 'Old enough to know better, still too young to care'. Rose told him after about a week that sometimes the look in Esperanza's eyes was pretty damned close to the one that marked him out as a Time Lord, ancient, Rose had said. She didn't put up with any funny business during lessons either as Jack found out quickly. Finally, between Doctor spawned adventures and teaching D'ni to the Ship, Anza decided they understood enough of the fundamentals of what she was teaching them to ask the Time Lord's permission to Link his ship to a world unknown to her _or _to him. A Written World. He agreed and she described what Linking felt like to the TARDIS, then pressed the Linking Panel of one of her Mentor's oldest Ages against the nearest wall.

She was used to the swirl of Linking, though she heard startled shouts from the humans and the Time Lord, felt the impact of surprise from the mind of the Timeship and smiled as the TARDIS came to rest precise spot the Book was designed to deliver Linkers to. Silent as a whisper, gently the ship stilled.

"Welcome to _Edanna_, Doctor. There are no humans or any other species living here...other than the wildlife and there is nothing dangerous to humans. When you open the door, you will discover we've landed on a Jungle Tree. This world, and many others in the Linking Books I have, could stand a population of some kind or other. This is the first tour of such worlds, the Writer who wrote it is long in his grave...and the world goes unused, wasted. I can make copies of such Books as I have if you can find settlers for them." She smiled as the trio opened the door and stepped outside.

"Explore. There is only one way, other than the TARDIS off this tree. That is why I made sure that there was an open Book to J'nanin where she could reach it with a wire or something if we suddenly disappear. Those are the only Linking Books here...though it would be a simple matter to return, Linking books always deposit Linkers in the exact sample place...so if she'd move a few feet to one side should she hear us Link out, that would be appreciated."

****WHO****

The day went slowly as they poked their noses into all sorts of places on the Tree. She had rewritten the biology of the plant so that there were many places within it where clusters of cottages could be built and one large section on the top, in the center, for common buildings. Throughout the tree were larger areas, intended for shops and craftshops. The Doctor was actually taking notes, his huge brain busy as hell, considering what species needed the space provided and were best suited to the environment here. These Books were fascinating...Worlds created in the pages of a Book, made to order for those who had need of living space. It was a wonderous thing, the likes of which he had never before conceived. The book she was writing for him was called Galliarth, part the Gallifrey of his memories, part the Earth he adored...and a good balance between the two. It included a solar system, a primary whose signature, and type she had made him write in D'ni to be copied by her into the Book. The same went for every planet in that system and the sciences involved in their make up. This was not a small undertaking, but after having Linked to a Written world where the details were so intricate and complete, he knew it wasn't a fluke.

The Doctor would have a new homeworld, designed by himself for himself and his companions, for his TARDIS...and she had even had him Write in the changes needed to his own body to make sure it was compatible with Rose's...he wanted children. There would be Looms too, but he wanted her to bear _his_. Not that he told her that.

"I think," He finally told the World Writer, "I think I want some of these trees on Galliarth. They are wonderful."

"I can do that. There are species on others of these Ages that would also do nicely, I think. Wait until you see Channelwood."

****TBC****


End file.
